How the under-16s social media ban will impact teens with disabilities

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Teens with disabilities say they might end up losing contact with friends and online communities due to under 16-year-olds being banned from social media. On December 10, the social media ban will come into effect, banning all Australians under the age of 16 from major social media platforms.

Transcript

00:00For 15-year-old Ren Alfaro, social media is a lifeline. Ren has difficulty walking as

00:09well as chronic fatigue, ADHD and autism. They say social media does more good than

00:14harm.

00:15Social media has been my only way to stay in contact with people that I'm actually

00:20really close with.

00:21After struggling to make friends in the past, they say the online world, especially

00:25Instagram provides a sense of community and removes physical barriers.

00:30A lot of the time it's really hard for me to actually go out and some days I can't

00:33even go to school. So it's my only way of being able to have some time with friends.

00:40Advocate Sky from Children and Young People with a Disability Australia says those without

00:45a disability often take for granted how easy it is to move around. She says social media

00:50allows teens to connect to friends even if they can't meet in person.

00:54We know that a lot of our public spaces aren't built to support those and to meet the needs

00:58of people with physical disabilities. Having an online world in which they can do that means

01:02they're able to have access to that social connection which is so important when you're

01:07growing up.

01:08She believes the social media ban on under-16s should be carefully monitored for unintended

01:12consequences.

01:14I think it is worth exploring having an exemption for teens with disability to the ban on social

01:20media.

01:21Similarly Unity has spent years advocating for young people living with a disability.

01:25They say teens just want to be included in conversations about the ban.

01:29I think that's the main thing that most teens have said to me is that this is the most that

01:34they felt disempowered and ignored by their government.

01:37A spokesperson for the Federal Communications Minister, Annika Wells, says the social media

01:41ban was developed after extensive consultation and many messaging apps and online games will remain

01:46accessible for young people. Meanwhile, Renafaro is just making the most of the time they have

01:51left before the ban comes into effect.

01:53Although there are harmful ways that social media can impact young people, it's been amazing

01:59for me.

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